Arabic names for white child

[Violetrose7]

Me and my partner are both white British, the baby girl names we love the most include Amira, Amaya and Safiya, all of which are of Arabic origin. I also love Zara but he isn’t keen.

has anyone got any other suggestions similar to these names and also does anyone think it would be an issue using an Arabic name when we have no connection to the culture? We just love the names!

@MidnightMeltdown some people care, some don't. OP can decide with all the facts in hand. Also, the child will be the one to face attitudes and/or comments related to their name, not just the parents. If you give your child an unusual name, you have to be ready to support your DC through other people's reactions and when they ask why they have that name, be able to give them an answer.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that parents get to decide and other people shouldn't comment (unless the choice is clearly something that will impact negatively the child, like Adolf or Nutella or any of Elon Musk's children's names).
But it's an important choice, and OP asked for other people's thoughts because (presumably) she wants to consider everything before deciding.

I had a cat called Sheherazade when I was little (my mum is a bit strange at times!) We called her Sherry.

Fabulous name!

Ok fair enough but a cat isn't a person.

@SixtySomething the names the OP likes aren't exclusively Arabic though.
So why would someone assume she is from an Arabic background?
Edit: Safiya does have Arabic origins but if I heard the name rather than seeing it written down I would probably spell it Sapphire.

Oh dear, @SixtySomething , you do come across as being blinkered and ignorant.
It's a beautiful name.

@Needmorelego , Safiya and Sapphire are not pronounced the same.

Oh !
I didn't know that.
They sound similar if said out loud.
Or is Safiya "Saff-ee-ya" ?
Because then my Safiya/Sapphire thought doesn't work.
Ooops.

@Needmorelego , it's Saff-ee-a.

@DuchessOfNarcissex oh !
Anyway... I still wouldn't automatically think "Arabic" if I heard the name.
I'd probably just think "oh that's a pretty name".

I'd think Muslim. I live in a multi-cultural area and the spelling suggests it's an Arabic name, and I'd be expecting it to be a Pakistani- or ME-heritage girl.

So, if someone doesn't agree with you, then they are 'blinkered and ignorant'.
Is this how you speak to people in real life?
Or is it because my user name introduces myself as an older person? I find a lot of this instant condescension. It's quite funny really.

In fact, it's quite 'blinkered and ignorant'. 😂

Pakistani isn't Arabic though.

@Needmorelego , I didn't say it was.

Sorry if I misunderstood but I thought you were saying if you met someone called Safiya you might think they were of Pakistani decent.
But people are saying Safiya is an Arabic name.
Arabic/Pakistani/Muslim doesn't mean the same thing.

Better tell all the white 'Toms' they're appropriating Syrian Aramaic culture then.

if anyone was to judge or expect to see a certain looking person based on the name it would be grown adults. And of course youd then write them off anyway as Rather Unimportant Odd Person.

Reminds me of the time someone said my sons name is a "black name"....WTAF

@Needmorelego , About 96% of Pakistanis are Muslim. Many of the first names given in Pakistan are of Arabic origin.

@hybak, shocking isn't it. Parents have been culturally appropriating it for about 1800 years.

@DuchessOfNarcissex but not all Arabic names are Islamic names.
Safiya apparently is more of an Islamic name but these days - does it matter?

@Needmorelego , are you like this in real life?

You were not familiar with the name and didn't know how to say it. It's a popular name in the Pakistani-heritage community. Therefore, if I saw the name, I'd expect the girl to be of that heritage. In pretty much the same way as I'd expect a Matilda to be white. I might not always be right, but chances are, I would be.

Our children have Hebrew names as first name followed by a Scandinavian name.
Most think the Hebrew names are English.
Lots of common English names are from around the world.
I have seen Arabic names in their year group without a connecting to a Middle East country.

@MumChp , originally, yes, but most have an English version.
David or Rachel are both used in Israel and Britain, as are others.
Something like William is English even though it's from German.

I also know a couple of Scheherazades and I would think that’s a fairly well-known name anyway given that it’s the name of the main character in a major work of literature.

I think you're right, and it's a fabulous name.

@SixtySomething , it's your attitude towards the name.
Imagine spelling that out over the phone to someone dyslexic (no offence to dyslexics intended). It's one letter longer than Christopher.
Why would anyone do this to their child?
and so on.

it's a name from a well-known story. I used the word ignorant because you seemed to express disbelief that someone would want to use a name that was strange to you.

You came across as xenophobic, and that is why I used the words blinkered and ignorant.